Author: Rev. Joe Dirt

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The Garbage Man

Many moons ago when I lived in Ft. Smith, AR I went out to the golf course to play a round.  At Ben Geren if you do this they tend to group singles together.  This works out nicely for several reasons.  It keeps the pace of play better.  You can get more folks on the golf course.  Singles are not frustrated waiting on foursomes.  It also has the added benefit of allowing you to play with folks with which you might not otherwise share a round of golf. 

On this particular day they paired me with a young man, a twenty something.  He was obviously working class.  I put myself in that category, but white collar.  Continue reading “The Garbage Man”

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Best Apples for Baking

The Cook’s Thesaurus says, “Best (apples) for baking: Rome, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Pippin, Gala, Braeburn, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Rhode Island Greening, York Imperial, Cortland, Winesap.”

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Imagine – Right Livelihood

A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

John Lennon ~ Imagine

One of the principles of the Buddha’s Continue reading “Imagine – Right Livelihood”

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Men Who Stare at Goats

men_who_stare_at_goats-posterThis movie has an all star cast that includes George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges and one of my favorite character actors, Stephen Root.  It was released November, 2009. 

I’m not big on going to movies for various reasons, but the trailers for this movie tempted.  What I expected to see, based on the trailers, was a good belly laughing comedy.  While there were a few laughs to be had it was mostly a trite drama. 

Basic premise of the movie is a down and out reporter Continue reading “Men Who Stare at Goats”

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Irony at One Police Plaza

The Merriam and Webster dictionary gives several definitions for irony, but the following definition works for the ensuing anecdotes.  Irony – 1): incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2): an event or result marked by such incongruity. 

Recently I had to go to downtown Memphis to One Police Plaza, not its real appellation, but perhaps it should be.  Part of the complex is 12 stories high, but the overall impression is one of a gray depressing bunker.  Continue reading “Irony at One Police Plaza”

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Am I a 3 eyed Martian?

Here is another reason I worry about this country. These folks are dangerous and harmful to this country. If they believe what they say, they have serious mental problems. My belief is that they do for the ratings which is really for the money that ends up in their pockets, or to put it succinctly GREED. And it is greed is what has driven this country to the brink of economic depression.

This not sane, considered debate about policies and the direction this country needs to take. It is rabble rousing and propaganda for profit. And if that is love of country I am a 3 eyed Martian.

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Truck Stops

Have you been in a truck stop or Interstate travel center lately? Anymore these places have TVs all over the place, and they are almost always tuned to FOX News. I worry deeply for this country.

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Undereducated / Uneducated Americans

I have taken a more circuitous educational path than most folks.  My career road has perhaps been even more tortured.  Now factor in that I have lived in ten states and one foreign country.  One of the advantages of such meanderings is that I have studied in several different fields, seen many types of jobs and industries, and I have been exposed to a wide range of people.  

I do not see myself as atypical, but sometimes I wonder.  I work in a technical field, computer programming.  Most of the folks I work with are college educated, and many are very smart.   What does surprise me is the narrowness of their knowledge and world view.  The folks discussed below are smart and successful in their fields, but the following anecdotes do illustrate my point. 

I have an Indian co-worker that related to me a story about his birthday which is on the same day as Mohandas Gandhi.  Continue reading “Undereducated / Uneducated Americans”

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Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway: Tribute to Woody Guthrie

woodytributeI’ve had this CD a while, and I have listened to it a couple times.  Those times had been when there were other distractions going on, so I was not really paying that much attention to it.  I was definitely not paying attention to Bob Childers narration.

I recently took a road trip and listened to both CDs all the way through with out interruption.  Most of the music I knew and was familiar to me. Woody’s prose that was narrated was new to me.  I came away with a new and deeper appreciation of the music of Woody Guthrie and of Woody Guthrie as a man.

It did get me to wondering how Woody would be received in the Oklahoma of today.  Would he have the same iconic stature Continue reading “Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway: Tribute to Woody Guthrie”